Top things you can plant late summer

(File photo)

If you’re thinking about starting a garden this year, it’s not too late to get some things in the ground.

While most vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers will be required to be pre-grown, you can still plant several leafy greens from the seed, according to Rachelle Hofmeister, manager of the tree, shrub, and perennial department at Dutch Growers.

“You would still have enough time to get them in the ground now and still have a harvest,” Hofmeister said, noting that these sorts of plants have a shorter maturity date.

• Radishes
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Swiss chard

These are also perfect for first time gardeners because they are fairly easy to grow, Hofmeister noted.

“They grow fast so it’s easy to have success with those sorts of things and then it helps you build your confidence to try other things,” she said.

Hofmeister said it is also the perfect time to plant perennial flowers, which grow back every season.

She said it is a good idea to mix flowers in with your vegetable garden because they attract pollinators.

Perennial flowers that bees are attracted to include flowers that have a flat landing pad.

• Coneflowers
• Yarrows
• Milkweed
• Shasta daisies

Plants such as marigold or salvia (sage) have the added bonus of keeping bugs out of your garden.

“[This] helps to deter pests because they don’t like the aroma or the fragrance that’s given off by the flower,” she said.

If you have pets, Hofmeister noted that the vast majority of all perennial flowering plants are fine, but tomato plants can be toxic to dogs, as they are in the nightshade family.

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If you already have a garden, she recommends using a floating row cover to protect your plants such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbages, from white moths.

“[It] is a really good non-toxic way to protect your plants by not having to spray any chemicals,” she said. “Also really good for keeping flea beetles off of your plants.”

She also recommends keeping up with the soil in your garden.

“It’s really important to work in things like compost, or worm casting or peat moss into the ground, on a regular basis every year or so to help to recharge that soil and help to add organic matter and drainage, it really helps a lot,” she said.